Apple scraps optical drive in new Mac mini
The Apple Store just came online with some new bits and bobs, most notably Lion, but also updated MacBook Airs and Mac minis. The former now take the low-end slots in Apple’s portable line-up, and the white MacBook has gone the way of the dodo. More interestingly, here’s the spec list for the new Mac mini:
- 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
- 2GB memory
- 500GB hard drive
- Intel HD Graphics 3000
- OS X Lion
One thing you won’t spot in there an optical drive—and that’s because the new Mac mini doesn’t have one. So if you wanted a Mac mini for a media centre and you have a pile of DVDs and CDs that you regularly play, you’d best snap up an old Mac mini, because the new one’s a closed box, unless you add on an external drive.
The optical drive I can take or leave but 2GB? In 2011?
Worse it’s the same situation on the Air, which you can’t upgrade ever.
I bought a Mac Mini last November with 2GB. Upgraded to 8GB in January via http://www.crucial.com. Cost: £55. I’d say for a Mac Mini, it’s not an issue. 2GB is still plenty for the average end user who just wants to browse a bit, use iTunes, sync their phone and all that usual non-power user stuff.
The RAM is an issue and certainly makes the computers more disposable. Then again, I know people with Airs running PS and WIndows 7 under 2GB, so the SSD gives the system a major boost. A pity Apple doesn’t start at 4GB however.
I don’t think 2GB is unreasonable for Apple’s entry-level machine, and an extra $100 bumps you up to a more palatable 4 gigs. Alternatively, you could upgrade the RAM yourself (or, at least, you could in the old mini models), though it’s a bit of a chore.
Do you think it’s too early to abandon the DVD drive? Will we see optical drives dropped from the other Mac lines soon?
The key is you can’t upgrade the Air, for entirely understandable reasons.